Filter.



Arrmonlon FILED In 29, 10 11;

' fPatentedlljan. 7, 1913.

R. B. WILLIAMSON.

FILTER.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l. I

I xdwdc @Zv.

R. B. WILLIAMSQN. FILTER; 4 APPLIOATIOH FILED MAY 29, 1 911. 1,049,789. Patented Jan.7,'1913.

- UNITED STATES ROBERT B. WILLIAMSON, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO .A LLIS-CHALMEBS COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY. I I

- FILTER.

Specification of Application filed Kay 29,

Letters Patent. Patented Jan. '7, 1913. 1911. Serial No. 630,019.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT B. WILLIAM- SON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and-State of VVisoonsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Filters, of which the following is a full, clear,

and exact specification. I

My invention relates to air filters, particularly as used in connection with dynamoelectric machines.

In the operation of the modern turbogenerator, immense quantities of air are forced through the machine in order to maintain it at a sufli'ciently low temperature. This air should be purified, in order to prevent it from carrying into the machine undesirable solid matter, which might produce disastrous results, such as short-circuits or grounds. I

It is the object-of my invention to obtainthis purification of the air.

-To-th-is end, I-.have-provided,an. ainfilterwhich removes all solid matter from the air supplied to the machine and yet offers but slight obstruction to the flow of the. air.

The filter consists of a sheet of some suitable fabric, mounted zig-zag in a suitable frame. The frame forms a support for, and is adjustable to give the desired tension'to, the fabric. It includes suitable plates adj acent to the edges of the fabric to prevent the air from passing around suchedges instead of through the fabric. 'Each'frame, with the fabric supported thereby, forms a unit; the units are preferably interchangeable, and may-be built up, in a suitable supporting frame, to form filters comprising any desired number and arrangement of the units, much like panes of glass in a window;

Each unit is preferably separately removable, thus facilitating inspection and repair. In plants using my air filter, one or more spare units are generally kept on hand, so that when one unit is removed another may immediately be substituted for it. Moreover, for each unit the supporting frame is preferably provided with an automatic door;

which, when its associated unit is removed, automatically closes the space occupied by such unit, thus preventin the admission of unfiltered air to the mac 'ne.

with dynamo-electric machines, it may also be used in other connections.

The various novel features of my inven- PATENT OFFICE.

tion will appear from the' description and drawings, and will be out in the claims.

Figure l is a partial vertical section, substantially on the line 1-1 of Fig. 2,'through an air filter embodying my invention; Fig. 2 1s a partial section. on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; ,Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the units, some of the parts being'broken away in order better to show the construction. I Fig. 4. shows a dynamo-electric machine receiving a1r through one of my air filters; and, Fig.

particularly pointed showing how the units are builtup:

Each unit of my improved air filter preferably comprises front and rear portions, denoted in their entirety as 10 and 11 re spectively. The front ortion 10 comprises two horizontally exten ing angle irons 12, -the ends-ef-which are-joined by vertically extending angle irons 13, the angle irons 12 and-13 being fastened. together by angle pieces 14. The rear portion 11 comprises dimensions of these rectangular frame vportions are the same, while for reasons hereinafter apparent the outer dimensions of the front portion are somewhat larger than those of the rear one. The frame portions frame portions, forming a zig-zag fabric screen asbest shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The

the upper and lower angle irons 12 or 12* is preferably just slightly greater than some. standard width of fabric; in the preferred form of arrangement these horizontal flanges are spaced apart substantially a quarter of an inch over a yard. The ends of the fabric strip 18 are fastened in any While my invention is particularly de-' signed and adapted for use in connection suitable manner, preferably by being bent over the edges of the forwardly extending 5 is an elevation of one of the air filters,

distance between the horizontal.. flanges.of p

similar parts 123.13%, and 14*. The inner 10 and 11 are connected by threaded rods 15,

forth over the rods 17 in the front and rear Y flanges of the angle irons 13 and clamped to such flanges by metal strips 19. The tension of the fabric strip is adilustable by. varying the distance between t e frame portions, by means of the nuts 16 on the rods 15. Sheet iron plates 20 abut against the upper and lower edges of the strip 18, beingfastened to the rear angle irons 12 and resting between the front angle irons 12 and suitable fingers 21 sup-' ported on said angle irons 12; this method of support does not interfere with the adjustment of the.distance between the front and rear frame ortions. The plates 20 prevent the air, w ich enters at the front of the unit and leaves at the back, from passing around the edges of the fabric strip 18.

The units may be used separately, but are generally used in groups, one group arrangement being shown in Fig. 5. When-used in groups, or even when used singly, they are preferably removably mounted in a suitable supporting frame 22, preferably 'of iron.

This supporting frame is made up in any de-' sired manner so that it has vertical and horizontal portions, forming, as-it were, a number of pigeon-holes. The size of each pigeon-hole is just suflicient to allow an easy sliding fit for the rear portion 11 of a unit frame; as a result, the larger front portion 10 of such unitframe bears against the front surface of the supporting frame 22 when the unit is in place and thus properly positions such units in the pigeonholes. The supporting frame 22 may be mounted in a suitable opening in a wall. For each pigeon-hole of the frame there is preferably a door 23, these doors being mounted at the rear of the frame on horizontal shafts 24 supported in the frame 22 above the corresponding pigeon-holes. The doors 23 swing closed by gravity, which may be assisted by springs 23*. In order to open the door, the rods 15 at the upper corner of each unit of the air filter project behind the unit for some distance, and have knobs 25 mounted on their ends. When the unit is put in place in its plgeon-hole, the knobs 25 strike the door 23 and open it, as indicated in Fig. 1. Upon the removal of the unit, the knobs 25 pass out of engagement with the door 23 and allow such door to swing closed.

Fig. 4 shows my air filter in connection with a turbo-generator.-sTheair filter is mounted in a wall 26. The air passes through shutters 27 into a chamber 28, whence it passes through the air filter, denoted in its entirety by 29, into a space 30 below the end housings of the turbo-generator 31. From the chambers 30 the air passes into such end housings and through the machine 31 in any suitable manner,

front and rear finally passing out of the machine, as by way of a chimney 32. Fans 33 are referably provided on the shaft of the mac me 31 to cause this movement of the air. The exhaust air from the chimney 32 may either lead to the open air, preferably at a point remote from the shutters 27, or may be used for heatingand ventilating a shop or an oflice, furnishing, as it does, a considerable supply of heated and well filtered air.

While I have described one specific embodiment of my invention, such embodiment is merely illustrative. For instance, the filter may be used in other positions than that shown, the terms front and rear being merely convenient terms to denote the places of entrance and exit for the air. It is not necessary that either the unit frame or the supporting frame be of iron, or that the door 23 be used for closing a pigeonhole of the supporting frame when the unit therein is removed. These features, and others, while parts of my invention, are not essential to it in all its forms, and may often be omitted or'modified. In the following claims I aim to cover all modifications which may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the claims.

What I claim as new is:

1. A filter comprising a framework forming a number of pigeon-holes, filter units removably mounted in theivarious pigeonholes, and an automatically operated door for closing each pigeon-hole.

2. A filter comprising a framework forming a number of pigeon-holes, filter units removably mounted in the various pigeonholes, and an automatically operated door for each pigeon-hole, said door tending to remain in or to be moved to closed position and being movable to open position upon the insertion of a filter unit in the pigeonho e.

3. In combination, a frame forming a passageway, an automatically operated door for closing said passageway, and a filter unit which may be inserted in and removed from such passageway.

4. In combination, a frame forming a passageway, an automatically operated door for closing said passageway, and a filter unit which may be inserted in and removed from such passageway and when inserted in said passageway opens such door.

- Milwaukee, Wis, May 26, 1911.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature,

in the presence oftwo witnesses.

ROBERT B. WILLIAMSON.

Witnesses GEO. B. SCHLEY, CHAS. L. BYRON. 

